Mercenary
by Silviael
Summary: What if you were a hunter of a creature faster and stronger than yourself? What if you were a teenage girl with nothing to lose? What if you don't know everything you thought you did? When Ariko and Jenna run across the Cullens, they get a reality check.
1. Curiouser and Curiouser

**AN: Yes, (gasp) yet another story from this account on fanfiction. This time I'm not solo- everyone say hi to NeeKa (Anime-Obsessed92) and give her half the credit for the story. Actually, give her two-thirds of the credit, because it was her idea haha. I'm along for the ride. Thanks, NeeKa, for letting me join in the fun! Anyway, her character's Ariko and mine is Jenna. We got to share Edward, teehee.**

**Disclaimer: No Twilight. Even if NeeKa and I pooled our money together we still couldn't buy it. Unless NeeKa turns out to be a megarich billionaire… (muses, dashes off to ask)**

MERCENARY

Chapter One: Curiouser and Curiouser

Ariko stood dancing in the middle of the dance floor, trying to attract as much attention as possible. Her short black and red dress only made that easier. Many guys came up to her, trying to dance with her but she just brushed most of them off. She may have been looking for attention but not from humans. Ariko was trying to catch the eye of a vampire. She was a hunter and had been going from club to club with her friend, Jenna, all night. They hadn't gotten anything… yet.

Jenna brushed up against Ariko, headed for the bar. "How goes the dancing?" Jenna asked wryly. She was taller than most of the girls and a lot of the guys in the bar, almost 6'2". The two of them worked as a team quite often. They both had a grudge that needed fulfilling.

"Dancing's good so far...Everything else...Blah!" she said with a small laugh. Ariko and Jenna were nearly complete opposites. Ariko was a hyper, punky skater girl. She was nearly sickly thin only about 90 pounds and barely made 5' 1".

They were good foils for each other; were Jenna was quiet and observant, Ariko was instinctive and charismatic. "As long as the dancing's good. Everything else will come in time," Jenna said, smiling and going to sit at the bar. She continually had to remind Ariko to have patience.

Ariko sighed in annoyance, 'No fun! No fun!' she complained in her head. She blinked as a tingling sensation ran up her spine and she grinned brightly at Jenna, alerting her to the presence of their new guests somewhere in the room.

Jenna gave a subtle wink back at her, repositioning herself with her drink to catch more attention, one of her long legs propped against the bar stool on which she sat. Her outfit was seductive- a black beaded corset (Ariko got it for her with her employee's discount at Hot Topic) and a pair of skinny dark blue jeans. She fixed her eyes briefly on the sight before her.

Ariko had to stop herself from shaking with happiness and excitement as she felt the being coming closer. Her brow furrowed for a moment and she stopped dancing as her spine tingled erratically. 'There's a lot...' she thought.

Jenna watched Ariko, brow creasing. Sometimes her friend didn't realize how dangerous their nighttime profession was. People died…

People like them.

She casually glanced Ariko's way, noting a strange electricity in the air. Tonight was either going to be a very good night, or a very bad one.

Ariko blinked and waited. Not even a second later eight people... eight vampires… passed in front of her. Ariko looked at them wide-eyed. 'Forget coven, this is a whole clan!' she thought. One of the younger ones looked at her in surprise. As their eyes met, Ariko's grey-black ones narrowed and her face turned into nothing but anger and bloodlust.

(Edward's POV)

I glanced down at the young girl after hearing her thoughts. She knew what we were just by looking at us and that wasn't good, let alone normal. As I met her black eyes that rivaled my own her face twisted and shifted from complete surprise and bewilderment to anger, loathing and... Bloodlust? I stopped and stared at her, in confusion now. This girl didn't seem to have any fear as she stared at me, though she knew far too well what I was.

(Jenna's POV)

Jenna watched with increasing alarm as Ariko's eyes met the copper-haired boy's. Ariko... wasn't being very alluring. At all. As a matter of fact all the male members of the species in the room were backing away from her angry face. I decided to intercept. "Hi," I said, crossing over to the boy. His gaze flickered to meet mine briefly, then he returned to Ariko. I tapped his shoulder, inwardly wincing at the icy temperature. "Excuse me?"

I saw a female cold one come up behind him. "Edward," she whispered.

So that was his name.

Ariko glanced at Jenna then slowly turned, "_En gozen sannyuu taishite ea-jakkan_." she muttered in quick Japanese, one of the few sayings she had taught to Jenna. Ariko quickly headed out the door into the crisp midnight air of early December.

Jenna shrank back, waiting for one of the clan to follow Ariko outside. They always did. She'd go after him or her and she and Ariko would kill the vampire. The two of them were a surprisingly strong team.

She was nervous. There were too many in the clan. This was going to get interesting.

Edward's eyes raised and he turned to the other lanky, older vampire, muttering something. The other nodded and the two of them followed Ariko.

Jenna's heart pounded. She swiftly checked- yes, the other members of the clan were occupied elsewhere. She put her drink on the counter and followed after the two vampires.

(Ariko's POV)

I stopped at the edge of an alley, pulling my long jacket closer around me. 'I showed my true self again...' I thought despairingly, 'I had set eyes on so many and remembered, losing focus and control.' I shook my head as a shiver ran down my back. I turned to meet the two pairs of black eyes, "How can I help you two?" I asked slowly, giving a flirty smile.

(Jenna's POV)  
I pushed my way through the crowd, becoming more frustrated with every step. It was as if everyone suddenly felt like they needed to stop where they were and not budge. I felt the same wave of calm flow across me and saw the blond, young vampire boy smile at the short one with wispy dark hair. I'd heard of vampires with special talents. I learn something new every day, I thought dryly, forging on through the crowd despite my increasingly sleepy brain.

(Ariko's POV)

'Where's Jenna?' I wondered, silently staring down the two vampires. The younger one, Edward I believe he was called, tilted head at me, "There's another one," he muttered to the other. My body visibly stiffened, 'So that's it...' I thought then remembered something I had read in one of my fiction books. I thought of nothing but an eraser and erased everything. I stared blankly ahead and waited. To my surprise the blond muttered something just quietly enough that I couldn't hear, and loped out of the alley.

(Jenna's POV)

"Excuse me," said a blonde, smiling vampire in front of me. She was almost as tall as I was. I tried to push past her but she wouldn't budge. "Do you know where the restroom is?"

Now, why in the world would you need to use a restroom? I thought sarcastically. "That way," I answered, keeping on going. I couldn't afford to be polite. Every second I was late put Ariko in more danger- which was probably the point of the blonde's interruption.

(Ariko's POV)

Ariko sighed in annoyance, 'I usually would wait but this is getting dangerous...' she thought, reaching down to the back of her dress. Suddenly something caught her arm, she looked up at Edward as he muttered,

"Take it easy."

Her eyes narrowed, "Not going to happen!" she snapped, reaching to her thigh and slashing at his throat with speed that was amazingly fast for a human. He staggered back.

Jenna burst into the night air as she saw Ariko whip out a knife on the bronze-haired vampire. The other, older bloodsucker was nowhere to be seen. This one's expression went from wary to defensive in a second, a lethal sneer twisting his unnaturally beautiful face. He spun to look at Jenna incredulously while dodging Ariko.

"Stop," he said, eyes completely black. Jenna saw him struggling to keep control. "I assure you I have never done anything to offend you." She pulled out a dagger, joining Ariko, and saw a strange kind of desperation... futility... in his coal eyes.

"Never done anything to offend us, hmm?" Ariko mocked. "Tell me...When was your last meal?"

"A few nights ago," the redhead said easily. Jenna and Ariko scowled. "It was one of the worst deer I've ever had. You really should get some population supplements around here; they're getting a little scrawny."

"So that's what we are to you? Nothing but stupid scrawny deer?" Ariko asked, insulted.

Edward sighed, rubbing his temples. "Does she always overthink things like that?" He asked Jenna. Jenna glared at him.

"Answer the stupid question," she snapped.

"When I said deer I was being literal." he said. Ariko looked at him skeptically, while Jenna cocked her head to one side.

"Wha?" Jenna said, looking very, very confused. "I don't get it."

Ariko looked at her dumbly. "He means when he said deer, he meant the animal. If he can be believed."

"Oh," Jenna said, flushing. The vampire watched them in amusement. "So  
you don't kill people." She looked like a little kid who'd just found  
out that Santa Claus isn't real.

Ariko was annoyed to say the least, "So what?!" she demanded, "He's still a bloodsucker! I highly doubt he's never murdered someone."

"I won't deny that," said the vampire, a flicker of something- guilt?- flashing across his face. "But not anymore. Now please let me alone before I lose control." And he nodded to them as the other vampire- the blond one, in his late twenties or early thirties- approached, a package under his arm. The two nodded to each other. "Good night, ladies," said the teenager, with a wry smile and a dip of his head in their direction.

Jenna's jaw dropped open. She didn't know what to do. Let him walk away? Attack?

As the vampire walked back into the club, Ariko blinked slowly, "Could someone please explain, WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"

"I think a vampire just dissed us," Jenna said in wonder, staring after him.

**AN: (peppy cheerleader yells...) Gimme a R-E-V-I-E-W! (Silviael squashes peppy cheerleader) Okay, that was weird, sorry. But reviews are nice… (smiles hopefully) And I'm pretty sure NeeKa agrees with me. Right, NeeKa? Right! (shudders) Ugh. Now I'M sounding like a peppy cheerleader.**

Definition: According to NeeKa, the Japanese in this chapter means "I am going for some air." So, we'll take her at her word for it, because I sure don't speak Japanese...


	2. Skipping is Healthy

**AN: Thanks to those who reviewed, and HUMONGO THANKS to NeeKa (Anime-Obsessed92) for co-writing this. She's the brains in the story, seriously, and she's hilarious besides that :) **

**Disclaimer: Nope. Ariko's NeeKa's invention. Jenna is mine. Everything else is The Goddess's. (Otherwise known as Stephenie Awesome-Person Meyer)**

**Quote of the Chapter: No one has ever cared about us. Why makes you so different?**

(Jenna's POV)  
"I don't really feel like hunting again tonight," she said, picking at her food. "I've got a lot of homework... and I have a headache. I have, like, three articles due for FlipSide. I just can't. Sorry."

Ariko's eyes narrowed. Fridays were their most profitable nights.

"You have got to be kidding me? How come you can never seem to keep things even, Jen?" Ariko demanded. She'd been in a horrible mood since last night.

"I intend to go to college," Jenna answered, looking tired. "And I need all the scholarships I can get." So what if she was a vampire hunter? What if that fell through? She'd need a second job. And,  
anyway, Jenna tended to worry too much. She had Plans A and B, as well as Plans C-E.

"You still need to learn to balance," she muttered. Ariko had been doing this long enough to know how to get it done in time.

"Balance what, exactly?" Jenna said with a hint of anger. "What are you so worried about? My stress level, or the hunting?"

"You need to learn to balance all your jobs. Stress isn't fun, Jen," she muttered coolly.

"You're telling me," Jenna answered, but she still looked oddly fidgety. Guilty, almost. "Listen, I have to go print off my research report for physics- I'll see you after school, all right?"

Ariko grimaced, grabbing her stuff and standing, "Yeah later." she muttered walking off.

Jenna went in the opposite direction, thinking hard. She'd done some research last night online and hadn't read anything at all about "good" vampires. Normally when a clan escaped it was easy to hunt them down and pick them off, one or two at a time. She wasn't sure she and Ariko should do that. Maybe this time, it would be better to let it go. She sat and printed off her report at the computer, doing a habitual sweep of the room out of the corner of her eye. Nothing unusual. She felt antsy- what she wouldn't give for a good fight right now.

(Ariko's POV)

'I must be going insane.' she thought as she played a few more warm up notes on her flute. Normally band calmed her but today she just felt sick, like something big was coming but she was too blind to see what.

Jenna glanced outside the window in her physics class. The few remaining leaves were stirred up by a not-so-gentle breeze. In fact, the trees were swaying with the force of the wind. Jenna felt chilled, despite the heat in the room. She had this... tight knot in her stomach that wouldn't let her go. She was pretty sure she failed the pop quiz they had. She was too distracted- by the clan from last night, and from this strange, deadweight premonition.

Ariko put the flute down and walked through the glass band door to the lawn and sat. The band teacher was busy with other students and he never noticed so Ariko sat staring at the trees.

Jenna frowned in confusion. Ariko must have the same feeling, she realized as she stared down at her friend through the window. The small Asian girl was pulling up tufts of grass in frustration as she stared into the woods, eyes unseeing. Jenna felt claustrophobic all of a sudden and wished she had an ignorant teacher, so she could go join her friend. They were stronger and smarter together.

(Ariko's POV)

She felt like screaming, but then she would be in trouble for ditching so she held it in. She tore at the grass furiously wishing this stupid feeling would go away.

Jenna waited for what seemed forever. The bell finally rang and she was out of the room before anyone could blink. In a rash decision she skipped fourth block. Who needed gym, anyway? When Jenna could lap all the track athletes and lift more weights than anyone on the football team she figured she could just blow gym off occasionally, on days like today- when things just didn't feel right.

Ariko stood still staring at the forest, "Come on." She hissed.

"You feel it too?" Jenna asked, voice soft. She glanced behind her at the school, sweeping the windows with her gaze, as Ariko nodded. No one was watching them. "All right," Jenna said with a sigh. "Let's get this over with so I can get some peace."

And together they strode into the forest.

Ariko's eyes were narrowed dangerously as her and Jenna walked deeper into the small forest. The trees were close enough together that they hid the girls from the schools view. "Come out already! We know you're there!" Ariko yelled.

There was a moment of brooding silence, and out of the shadows melted a form, hands where they could see them. Jenna quietly made sure her knife was within reach. School policy may not like weapons at school. Jenna did. Sharp things made her feel better.

Ariko growled lowly, clutching her switchblade as well. The switchblade was an heirloom and never left Ariko's side.

"Are you always so suspicious?" the copper-haired boy asked, leaning against a tree. "And shouldn't you two be in school right now?"

"What in the flying hell are you doing, you damn leech?!" Ariko demanded.

"Leech?" He asked, eyebrows raised. "I haven't heard that one in a while." Ariko's face grew redder and he smiled. "Calm down, girl. As for what I'm doing- I'm standing here. Against a tree... Talking to you, which wasn't really part of the plan."

Ariko growled, "Really? And what did this plan of yours actually involve?" she asked.

"Curious, aren't we?" He asked with a smirk. Jenna was learning to hate that smirk. "It's nothing you need to worry about. Why are you skipping, anyway?"

"It sounded like fun," said Jenna with a grin, and gave Ariko a warning glance out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't good to get a vampire angry when you hadn't had the chance to choose your battleground. The stumpy forest was slick with the light rain from the morning, and would benefit the vampire better than the huntresses.

Ariko grounded her teeth slowly calming, a mask folding over her expression, "Why don't you just asking the damn question? Why are you here?"

He looked between the two of them, thinking. Ariko started to say something but he frowned at her. "Patience is a virtue. I'm here because I wanted to know what you were doing, trying to attack me for no reason. That was stupid and rash. It's a good thing I wasn't... well... a bad one. There's no way you can keep up with my kind and getting cocky isn't going to help matters."

Ariko laughed. She just started to laugh insanely.

"Um. Ariko?" Jenna said. _Yep, she's finally lost it_, she thought. "Sorry," she apologized to the vampire. "Sometimes... wait. You just insulted us. We're stronger than you think we are." Jenna's anger wasn't red-hot, like Ariko's. It was calmer, but still assertive.

"No...N-No, Jen think about it. A vampire came here because he was wondering what the heck was wrong with us. We're the ones that hunt his kind and he's worried about us. Hell, our parents don't even do that!" she said through laughter.

Jenna looked pained for a second. Her parents, her real parents, were dead. "No," she said quietly. "They didn't. And there's a whole lot wrong with us," she said, addressing Edward now. "But it's nothing you can fix. So leave us alone." And she turned to walk back into the school.

Ariko grinned widely at him, "Later Leech." she said waving and turning to go back to the school.

Edward stared after them, looking confused. "But they never told me what I wanted to know..." he said, brow knit, then he shrugged as they vanished into the building. There would be time enough. After all, he was immortal.

**AN: Poor Ed, having to deal with two teenage girls. Ha, ha, everyone loves paining him. NeeKa and I say thanks for reading, and please review!!**


	3. Never a Normal Life

**AN: Thanks, yet again, to Anime-Obsessed92 (nee-ka) for cowriting this with me. It's all her fault, haha!**

**Quote: Everything you say to me takes me one step closer to the edge, and I'm about to break.**

MERCENARY

Chapter Three: Never a Normal Life

Ariko sighed as she looked through the pants, 'Too big...Too big...' her mind complained blankly.

Jenna pitied Ariko. She was just so small-boned. Jenna carelessly picked up size eight. It should work, more or less. Ariko was never happy unless Jenna bought something. It didn't really matter much to Jenna; she just wanted to get it over with so she could run by that weaponry store downstairs. Now that was shopping.

Ariko sighed, "Oh I give up... You ready?" she muttered, looking up at Jenna.

Jenna looked at her in exasperation. "I was ready for you to say that an hour ago."

Ariko laughed lightly at Jenna, "Sorry but I'm running out of jeans..." Her jeans were constantly ripping from running and falling and all the acrobatics she pulled in them.

"Okay," Jenna said busily, pulling out her map of the mall. Ariko rolled her eyes- Jenna and her organizing fetishes. "So where else are we going tonight?"

"You choose..." she muttered, looking away, now confused.

Jenna's eyes lit up. "Oooh! The bookstore!" She said, looking scarily excited. Jenna loved books. Jenna also liked knives. She wished there was a store that sold both- it would make her life so much easier.

Ariko was distracted. "Okay..." she muttered.

Jenna practically skipped down the escalators to Waldenbooks. She accidentally bumped into a blonde beauty holding a bunch of shopping bags. She smelled something amazingly sweet and her nostrils flared. She remembered the golden-haired girl from the nightclub. Next to her walked a shorter, pixie-like girl with wispy black hair. They had both been with the strange clan. They were at the mall? Wouldn't that be hard for them? All these beating hearts...

Ariko stopped and stared, "Jenna..." she hissed.

"I know," she said, adrenaline singing in her. Stay and fight? Run? Go on as if she hadn't seen them? For the vampires' part, they had continued walking, waving at someone on the floor above them.

Ariko followed their waves. A tall blond boy stood waiting for them; he had the same deathly complexion. Ariko glared at him, anger rolling off of her now.

Jenna tapped her on the shoulder. "What's the plan?" she asked. She wondered if the copper-haired vampire was around. It seemed like the entire clan had chosen today to go shopping.

Ariko huffed and growled, "Let's just go to the bookstore..." she muttered, "Too many people..."

Jenna nodded, forcing herself to turn away from the confrontation and walking toward Waldenbooks. "Speaking of which," she muttered, "they really shouldn't be here. Their control has to be tested to the limit right now- if that even matters to them."

"That's when we move in..." she lowly, picking up a book.

Damn, she was smarter than Jenna had remembered. "Nice," she complimented her best friend. "Caught in the act."

"We'd have to be quick and quiet about it before there was any casualties," she muttered, turning the book in her hands.

Jenna nodded again. "Yeah. I call the blonde girl." She'd bumped into Jenna two too many times. A slight pang rose in her, but she squashed it. _Eternally damned creatures, not humans _, she reminded herself.

Ariko chuckled, "So I get everyone else?" she joked.

Jenna's eyes narrowed. "Not fair. We share the guy. You can have the shrimpy little girl."

"She was shorter than me!" she said happily, grinning.

Jenna looked at two books, trying to decide which one to get. She was trying to save up for an iPod- but she just wasn't very good at saving money. "About ready?" she said briskly. Already the books in her hands made her feel better.

"Yeah..." Ariko muttered, staring slightly at the blonde man in the medical section.

Something tugged vaguely at Jenna's memory about that man. Where had she seen him before?... Then it clicked. Movie-star handsome. Icy, pale skin, with those purple bruised circles under the eyes.

Vampire.

Her back went rigid. She mouthed to Ariko, "Trap?"

Ariko stared at him then carefully walked up next to him, picking up a forensics book. He glanced over at her with a smile. "Well you don't see such a young person into such books every day..." he commented.

Ariko looked up at him glancing at the book, "What about you? Studying to be a doctor?" she asked smoothly.

"Actually, I just took a job at the local hospital." he said. She blinked at him, surprised, then smirked.

"Really? I'm Ariko," she said, holding out her hand casually.

He took it gently. "Carlisle Cullen."

She nodded, "Nice to meet you Dr. Cullen, but my friend here has been bugging me to leave so I must be going. Just wanted to grab this book. Goodbye," she said.

He nodded, "Goodbye then- Ariko." Ariko walked away, practically dragging Jenna out of the store, leaving the book at the entrance.

_The Cullens_, Jenna thought as they left. Now she had a name to place with the faces. "Do you think he overheard what we were saying?" she asked, looking a little worried. "Was he really there just to look at books or was he checking us out?" She stopped suddenly, realizing how wrong that sounded, and her face colored. "Er... I mean... oh you know what I mean!"

Ariko stared at Jenna then sputtered in laughter, "Nice Jenna!" she said laughing. She slowly straightened up though, "No. He wasn't there because of us...He was really reading that book." she muttered.

Jenna let out the tension that she'd been holding in. "On with the show, then," she said with a small, wicked smile. It faded slowly as they scanned the crowds for signs of the beautiful coven. "He seemed decent. What was his name? Carter or something?"

"Carlisle." she responded automatically, "Very old English name... So he must be from somewhere in England or Britain..." she blinked, confusion slowly consuming her features, "He said he is a doctor. How the hell can a vampire be a doctor with all that blood around?!"

They both stopped. _What is this thing plaguing me? _Jenna wondered. Then, as if in reply, she thought dryly, _This must be what they call a conscience._ "It doesn't matter," she said confidently, then sighed. "Does it? If he can be around blood, maybe what that other one said is true." She sighed again. She didn't think she liked her newfound morality.

"Agh!" Ariko yelled, grabbing her head and getting stares from some people. "Why can't we just go back to the days when we killed 'em and got on with our lives!!"

Jenna winced. "Yeah, I know, but if you keep this up we'll get arrested." Everyone went about their business again, leaving a ten-foot radius around Ariko and Jenna. Jen laughed grimly. "So are we killing them or not? It's up to you. You're the gung-ho one, remember?"

Ariko held her head, 'So confused!' she thought quietly, her face slowly getting red with frustration.

Jenna stared at the pixie girl across the plaza, their eyes meeting coldly. "Let's just go," she said to her friend. "We need time to think. And we know where Carlisle works, so we can track them." She cocked her head to one side, trying not to notice the mounting population of vampires in the mall court. The small one. The three blondes- a girl, a boy, and Carlisle. And from the home goods store came a woman with billows of soft brown hair. "Okay?" She persisted, nerves singing, as she gathered her bags in one hand.

Ariko was swearing lowly in her mind, when she felt a small tug. Tug? In her mind? She growled, "_He_'s here," she hissed.

Jenna had thought it couldn't get any harder. "Come on," she whispered back, knowing it would do no good. If they wanted to, the... Cullens... would hear them. "I really want to save the fighting for another day, Ariko." Jenna felt sick. Heavy. She didn't want to fight Carlisle Cullen. The impulse surprised her, but she'd long since learned to listen to her instincts.

Ariko glanced over at the vampires, there was eight now. A big muscular one, the short girl and blonde girl, a wavy brown haired girl, an older looking woman with soft brown hair, Carlisle, and that other one. He was staring at her with the signature smirk. Ariko had a small impulse to punch that smirk right off his face but she only glared and memorized their faces.

Jenna pulled her away. "Ariko!" she said in exasperation. Ariko had an infallible memory- she'd remember everything about that coven, now that she'd concentrated. And now would be the time to get out, before Jenna did something she'd regret later.

Ariko stretched walking away slowly with a smirk.

SC  
SC

"I'm having murder withdrawal," Jenna muttered, sitting on Ariko's twin-sized bed with a huge bag of chips. She needed comfort food; she missed the smell of vampire skin burning.

Ariko laughed bitterly, "Just don't go into shock okay?"

Jenna grinned wryly, and reached over to open up a package of Double Stuf Oreos. "I hate these things," Jenna said, "but they're so addicting." She crammed one in her mouth. "So what're we going to do?" She asked, voice muffled by the food in her mouth. In times of crisis Jenna tended to lose all dignity.

Ariko fell onto her bed, eating a cookie slowly, "...We could follow them... Tomorrow... I noticed their eyes were getting dark, they'll most likely go hunting soon."

"Problem," Jenna countered. "They can outrun us when they hunt. We'd have to predict where'd they go and actually be there ahead of time. Then we'd have to make sure they didn't smell us. It's an idea, but it would take a lot of work." Her eyes lit up. "I like it." She loved organizing things; this was fun for her. "We could follow the doctor home from work and find out where they'd be starting from. That would be a beginning."

"That or instead of cluing them in use the Internet. The house would be signed under his name: Carlisle Cullen. I can find the address and stuff in the local documents." she said.

Jenna chewed at her lip, absentmindedly scratching off her nail polish with one finger. "Yeah, that could work. Hopefully."

"Then we'd just have to figure out how to get to them and catch them hunting humans. That one has the ability to read minds so we have to be extra careful with our thoughts..." she said.

Jenna nodded briskly. Plans. Plans were always soothing. "You're the boss," she said with a grin, and Ariko booted up her computer.

SC

SC

Ariko sat at her desk, her head down as the rest of the class filed in. Jenna sat next to her, as always, in the back with no one around for quite a few seats.

"Headache?" Jenna asked. She saw one of the pervs in the class eyeing her and shot him the bird behind her back. He quickly looked at his desk, face pale. Sometimes Jenna wished everyone wasn't quite so afraid of her and her friend. It got tiring.

"So many numbers..." Ariko sighed, slamming her head into the desk.

"Quiet everyone!" the teacher, Mr. Jacobs, said, "We have a few new students who just moved here, cross country, so try and be nice. They'll be here momentarily."

As if called they walked in six pale beautiful people three males and their three female counterparts. The Cullens. Ariko stared up at them, "What in the high holy hell are they doing?!" she demanded, glaring.

Silence echoed in the classroom as heads turned to stare at Jenna and Ariko. The tall blonde beauty glared at Ariko, while the copper-haired boy's mouth twitched. _This can't be safe,_ Jenna thought desperately, gripping the edge of her seat with white knucklesThe cheap plastic cracked loudly and the teacher shot her a reprimanding glance.

Ariko was muttering quick Japanese mixed with a few Italian words. The teacher glanced at her, "Ariko? Do you and Jenna need to go to the principal's office or the guidance counselor?" he asked.

"Actually I think I need to walk out of this room right now, go home to my apartment and light something on fire before I get too angry and lose it." she said honestly. Everyone stared inching away.

Ariko smiled, 'That was fun.' She thought with a sigh.

Mr. Jacobs stared too, "Ariko maybe you should go to the guidance office..."

"Why? Not like those happy carefree morons have ever helped or are ever going to help me with my mental problems. I'm far too messed up...And I _like _myself this way." Ariko said, black eyes narrowed.

Jenna shut her eyes and sighed. This was an argument that happened at least twice a week. "Ariko..." she muttered. "Not the best time to leave. We leave, no one's left to defend these kids from a gang of sadistic vampires." The words were too quick for anyone to hear more than a soft buzz.

Ariko held onto the table, her nails digging into the wood. "Ggrrr dum fre- vam- DAMMIT!" she said.

Jenna cocked an eyebrow at Ariko. "Wha?" she asked dryly. "I only understood the whole 'dammit' part."

Ariko looked up at her, "The only empty seats are next to **us**," she said. "Understand now?"

Indeed, the six warily sat in a circle around Ariko and Jenna. After all, the other students had left a gaping hole at the back of the classroom. Jenna sat straight in her chair, cursing. "Oh," she grumbled, taking stock of their possible exit routes. Windows, door, teacher's lounge... just in case the clan tried something.

Ariko growled lightly, getting a stare from the largest vampire. A big muscular one with black hair.

The pixie smiled sweetly at Jenna and Ariko. "Now, children, if we can't play nicely we can't play at all." Jenna nearly choked. Ariko was not going to like being talked down to...

Ariko snapped back at her, "But I am being nice! There are so many other things I could do or say that would just be cruel! Like calling you shorty or chibi-chan!"

The girl's eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't be talking if I were you." Jenna grimaced. She wondered... yep here it came. "You and your skyscraper friend there."

Jenna shrugged. "Woo, I'm a skyscraper," she muttered. She heard a chuckle from near her and her eyes swiveled. It was the copper-haired one. "Do you have a problem? Besides being one of the living dead?"

He shook his head. Ariko's slammed into the table again.

The teacher came back, awkwardly maneuvering through the rows of desks. "I need to take your names," he said to the six new students, trying not to look too closely at the supermodel-ish blonde girl.

Ariko muttered something lowly in Japanese and grinned evilly.

The six listed their names. Alice, Edward, Bella, and Emmett Cullen; Rosalie and Jasper Hale. Jenna stored away the names for later use.

"Okay." he said, "Edward, Bella and Alice your schedules are similar to Miss Angello's here so you can follow her around. Same for the rest of you but Jenna can help you." He turned and walked away not leaving an open argument.

Ariko's eye spazzed and twitched in annoyance. She raised her hand. "Mr. Jacobs? Can I go to the bathroom and slit my wrists?"

"No," Mr. Jacobs said without turning his head. "You'll have to do that on your own time."

"Why aren't people nice to Aiki...?" she muttered pouting and putting her head on the desk again.

"Because life sucks," Jenna said with a shrug. "Why am I freakishly tall? Because life sucks."

The giant- Emmett- was listening. He said, "You think life sucks? Try death. It's not so great either."

Ariko stared at him, anger rolling off her now, "Actually this isn't anything compared what your kind have put me through in the past. 'Try death.' Been there, done that! So why don't you shut up and mind your own damn business since you have no clue what mine or Jenna's lives have been like?!"

Emmett looked like he was about to cry. "I... I... but I've never seen you before... and I was trying... oh never mind, " he said sadly, pouting.

Ariko glared at him, looking away, "I don't care what you were trying to do!" she snapped, her body starting to shake with rage.

Luckily the bell rang for homeroom to dissolve into first period right then. Edward, Bella, and Alice all stared expectantly at Ariko, while Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper all turned their eyes to Jenna. "What?" Jenna muttered. "I am not going to drag you around all day."

Ariko sighed and stood, walking out.

**AN: Jenna is my (Silviael's) character, and Ariko is Nee-Ka's. Reviews are always a pleasure to read… (nudges your finger towards the review button...)**


	4. Dance Hall Drug

**AN: It's been a while, and that's my fault, not NeeKa's. I've got another two chapters about ready to upload. So...**

**Ariko- NeeKa's char**

**Jenna- Silviael's char**

**QOTC: And so goes another day of the monsters killing the monsters...**

Chapter Four: Dance Hall Drug

It was study period, right before lunch. Ariko was hungry and, needless to say, not happy about it.

_Hungry_, her mind groaned as her head rested on her desk, _'I want a taco...Taquitos...Or cheesecake...'_ She thought happily about her favorite foods.

Edward twitched in annoyance. "Could you cut it out over there with the food thoughts?" he asked bitterly and almost jealously. He'd never gotten to taste any of those foods before he died. Ariko smirked and started to think about different kinds of sweet desserts. Edward glared at her.

Ariko blinked and lifted her head then, "Today's Friday isn't it?" she asked Jenna, who nodded. Ariko grinned happily. "You coming tonight?" she asked.

"Well, I should get my math done..." she started to mumble, then looked at Ariko's puppy pout face. The tall girl sighed in resignation. "Fine."

"YAY!" Ariko cheered, "I think I'm gonna wear my skirt and black top." Jenna made a face.

"Going out tonight?" Rosalie asked.

Ariko nodded happily, "Yup. But it's invite only… so, sucks for you." she mocked.

Rosalie turned her head, "Like I need your permission."

Ariko just smiled at her, "Besides- if you go out, you guys might get hurt." she threatened, chuckling. The Cullens stared at her as she continued to hum happily.

--------------------------------------------------------(Later)

Jenna and Ariko were standing, dancing in the middle of the room. Jenna wore simple jeans and a nice corset top with sneakers. Ariko, however, was the bait. She wore an extremely small black tube top with fishnetting on the stomach and fishnetted black fingerless gloves with a pair of tight jeans. Ariko seemed bored just waiting. Jenna smiled at her a bit, enjoying the downtime.

Ariko then smirked happily as a man with cold pale skin wrapped his arms around her waist. "Where did you come from?" he muttered in his silky voice. Jenna stepped back as Ariko started to dance against him seductively. He smiled and took her hand, leading her outside into the cool air. Jenna followed silently.

He led Ariko to an alley next to the club, "Where are we going?" she asked innocently.

He then pinned her against the wall, leaning towards her throat, "To Hell," he replied.

Ariko smirked. "You have fun with that."

Jenna slammed the vampire's head against the wall as Ariko slipped from his grasp and stood near Jenna. She grinned happily at him. He looked at them in surpise, "Are you two daft?" he asked.

Jenna chuckled shaking her head, "No. But Ariko _is_ a little insane."

Ariko's smirk widened as she tossed a knife through his hand pinning him to the wall. He looked at in surpise again and went to pull it free, but Jenna threw more knives sticking him there. He growled angrily at the two of them, twisting and turning.

Ariko walked towards him, "You were right. We are going to Hell. You're just going before me," she whispered as she lit him on fire.

He screamed and withered in pain. "And so goes another day of the monsters killing the monsters to protect the people who never gave a damn about them." Ariko smiled sadly.

Jenna watched the fireworks quietly. "We should write a book," she muttered.

Ariko blinked at her and chuckled. "Yes!" she grinned, wiping away the sticky evaporating fat that clung to her lips, "It would be a _New York Times _bestseller. Don't you agree Edward?" She rounded on the Cullens, who stood at the mouth of the alley staring at the oddity that they were witnessing.

Ariko blinked at the boy then smiled with delight, "We wiped the smirk off of Edward's face!" Ariko cheered, and Jenna muttered under her breath,

"Let's hope it doesn't come back..."

Edward growled in response. Ariko pulled her knives out of the alley wall and headed towards the Cullens quietly. Jenna smiled at them brightly as she walked past them. "See you at school tomorrow." she said, almost challenging them.

They parted a path to let the girls through as Ariko continued to twirl her knives happily. Once they had walked around to the back of the family, Ariko turned to grin at them insanely,

"You might want to be careful. You never know what kind of lunatics are crawling around," she smirked. They disappeared down the road like two wisps of smoke; dark and slippery.

**AN: Thanks to NeeKa for not only co-writing, but also editing this chapter. Reviews are appreciated, as always. **

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Silviael and NeeKa**


	5. Physically Impossible

**AN: This is a "bonus chapter" of sorts. It's the Cullens' version of the last chapter- we figured that knowing what they were thinking might be interesting.**

**Quote of the Chapter: _Now _it's our problem.**

Chapter Four 1/2: Physically Impossible

Edward led Bella up to the bar and sat with her. What Ariko had said to them had made almost everyone curious, and so they came to the club Alice had envisioned to spy on the pair.

Carlisle and Esme hadn't come, though. Carlisle was working late at the hospital and Esme was still finishing the renovations of their new house. The teenagers were ready for a night out.

Emmett had been complaining ever since they got to the club. Apparently he had better things to be doing… most involved Rosalie. Edward seemed ready to hit him to make him stop his thoughts.

"Emmett," he said through gritted teeth, putting an arm around Bella's waist, "I swear... you pervert."

Rosalie quickly got Emmett up and dancing, and the thoughts got even worse. Edward ground his teeth and glared at Rosalie. _Thanks a lot_, he thought.

It was then that he sensed some entirely different unsavory thoughts. One of their kind was going to commit a murder tonight- and it was going to be that girl, Ariko. Edward hated her with a fiery passion, but he didn't want her to die.

"Edward," Bella said. He looked over in just enough time to see Ariko being led out by the vampire. Jenna followed not far behind.

"Dammit. You guys!" he called.

"What?" Alice asked, the leonine Jasper following her closely. When Edward explained, even as he was zipping through the crowd to the door the trio had exited by, she remarked coldly,

"Not our problem."

The rest of them followed anyway. They ran quickly to the mouth of the alley...Only to see the said vampire burning, screaming, and writhing in pain while Jenna and Ariko stood by with strangely contented smiles on their faces.

Everyone had the same thoughts running through their minds as they watched the fireworks: _'What in the hell?!_

Edward answered their unspoken question. "''What in the hell?'... I think that guy is about to find out about hell," he said grimly, watching the anonymous victim falling into ashes.

The girls were talking about quotes and writing a book, like this was the most natural thing in the world.

"We should write a book." Jenna said.

"Yes!" Ariko agreed, "It would be a _New York Times _bestseller. Don't you think so, Edward?" she asked, turning to them. All the Cullens could do was stare.

As the final bits of our brethren's flesh burned, the two _assassins _stared at Edward's face with surprise, pleasure spreading over them.

"We wiped the smirk off Edward's face!" Ariko crowed, and Jenna muttered,

"Let's hope it doesn't come back." Edward growled under his breath and stared at them as Ariko ripped the knives out of the alley's wall, _This is scaring me, _Emmett thought, stepping back as Ariko passed by, still playing with her knives.

Jenna slowly smiled as she walked past them, showing sharp teeth and sparkling, adrenaline-crazed eyes. "See you in school tomorrow," she said calmly, and the Cullens parted wordlessly. What had just happened? Wasn't this physically _impossible_? They felt everything they'd believed for their long, long lives come crashing down around their feet. Ariko turned to look at them one last time, that strange insane smile still on her face.

"You might want to be careful- you never know what kind of lunatics are crawling around." she taunted.

As the girls walked away slowly, soon out of earshot, Alice blinked, "_Now_ it's our problem." she muttered, correcting herself.


	6. Showtime, Showdown, and Shown Up

**AN: This is all we've got for now; we're writing again though.**

**Quote of the Chapter: Back me down from backing up. Hold your breath now, it's stacking up. Etched with marks but I can deal- and you're the problem. You can't feel.**

Chapter Five: Showtime, Showdown, Shown Up

Ariko sat, biting an apple and thinking quietly. Jenna was listening to music, her headphones hidden beneath her hair and the wires of her iPod tucked underneath her sweatshirt. Ariko stared ahead as the Cullens came towards them. She nudged Jenna's leg.

Jenna smiled. "Showtime," she said quietly, and inconspicuously turned her iPod off.

"We're going to sit here if you don't mind," Edward said, sitting across from Ariko.

"Well I do mind but that didn't stop you so go ahead!' she said brightly as the rest of the Cullens sat.

"So," Rosalie said with a smirk, "did you have a nice weekend?"

"Yes actually. It was quite fun." The short, hyperactive girl grinned insanely again. She turned to Jenna, who smiled too.

"Yours?" Jenna asked, taking her headphones out- as if only now really noticing the Cullens' presence.

"It was... different?" Rosalie muttered, looking for the correct word.

"Well, then, it must've been _very_ different," Jenna said smoothly. "Since you've practically seen it all, haven't you? Over the last century or so?"

Rosalie glared at her. "I'm not _that_ old," she muttered. Ariko snickered.

"What are a few years here and there?" Jenna said with a shrug. "We were wondering," she indicated Ariko and herself, "if you knew that man we met. We didn't get the chance to find out his number," she said innocently.

"Of course not." Rosalie hissed, glaring at her again.

"'Of course not' what?" Ariko asked. "Of course that you never knew him, or of course we didn't find out his number?"

Rosalie looked annoyed and ticked as Ariko smirked at her. "Of course we didn't know him." Alice clarified.

"Oh, okay," Jenna said breezily. "Because it just seemed like he ran with your crowd. Well... he did." She grimaced sympathetically. "I don't think he'll be doing much running anymore."

"Too bad so sad. I regret nothing and I refuse to apologize." Ariko said simply, out of the blue.

One of Jasper's marble brows lifted. "No one asked you for an apology. I don't recall anyone asking you anything much, actually, small person." His wife looked at him indignantly at that comment.

Ariko bit her apple angrily, glaring at him. Edward smirked. "Is that the best you can do? Glare at us? That's not very scary."

She smiled at him, "You know what I can do, Edward. You really want to push me to that point?" she asked softly, eyes flaming at him.

He shrugged. "I'm really not worried. Eight of us. Two of you. Odds are you don't have the guts to even try."

Jenna's back straightened slowly and she hissed at him, eyes narrowed. "Want to bet?" she asked sarcastically.

Ariko chuckled, standing up a bit. She grabbed a handful of his bronze hair and Bella grabbed her wrist, eyes cautious. "Let go of him."

Ariko smiled, "Oh, don't worry. I will."

Jenna waited it out, and then said softly, "Don't underestimate us, Edward. It could be a pretty big mistake." Ariko ripped her hand back, taking some hair with her. Edward didn't flinch. Jenna had long since stopped smiling. '_I don't want to fight him.'_

It was a strange realization, but once Jenna thought it she knew it was correct. That didn't mean she was ready to make nice. But if Ariko went with her instinct, as she always did, Jenna wasn't sure she'd be on her side for once. She wished she knew more about the Cullens; right now all she was, was confused.

"I have no patience with vampires anymore. I hate them and I'm going to kill any who get in the way. So if you just leave me alone and go on with your happy stupid little lives then we won't have any problems. Of course that is if you stay away from humans also," Ariko said walking away.

Jenna stared after her for a second, face a mask. Then, without a glance towards the Cullens, she sighed heavily and walked after her. Ariko glanced at her friend, "You didn't have to follow me."

Jenna's expression turned brooding. "I know," she said quietly. "But I'll stick with you, Ariko. You know that. I just... don't agree with some of the newer ideas."

Ariko narrowed her eyes, "You have your way, I have mine." she said icily, "I don't expect to have you understand why I think that way. Actually I hope you never have to understand."

Jenna stopped dead in her tracks. "You're right. I don't want to know what's inside your head, Ariko. Ever since the Cullens have come to town you're like a stranger. Yeah, they're evil monsters of doom, I get that. But as long as they're not going on a murdering streak across town, right this minute, I think we should just lay low for a while and relax. I'm failing math," she said, and sounded a little worried.

They hadn't had a fight like this for... as long as she could remember.

Ariko shot her a glare, "First off, you've been doing this with me long enough to have learned how to balance your work and your school. Second, I don't care if they're not going on 'murdering streaks right this minute.'" She got up in her best friends' face. "They _will_. They'll kill people and make families sad for no good reason other than not being able to control their own damn thirst!" She was shouting now.

"And I don't care! I hate them! I hate all of them and I hate humans even more for being nothing more then a worthless food supply!!" Jenna stood stock still, eyes glazed, for a long moment, staring at her best friend. Her best friend who had just called her worthless. Silently she turned and walked away. She didn't care about class anymore; she had to get somewhere alone before she broke. Ariko stared after her for a while then walked away, out of the school completely. She went to the school parking lot and threw up.

Jenna ran into the woods, climbing a tree and laying out along a branch. It was uncomfortable, but out of sight of the school. She wiped away an angry tear and rethought the entire day. What had she done wrong? _Had _she done anything wrong?

Jenna listened carefully and instantly straightened, her nostrils catching a whiff of vampire. Instincts didn't die.

"Calm down," said Bella slowly, palms out, walking to the base of the tree and no further.

Edward walked not far behind her. "We heard you and Ariko fighting...Actually the whole cafeteria did," he said.

Jenna grimaced. "Yeah, thanks. That makes me feel better." She banged her head against the tree branch above her. She tried to think back again and hoped she hadn't said anything compromising.

"Are you okay?' Bella asked.

Jenna cocked one lazy eyebrow at her. "And you care either way because...?" Then she sighed. "Don't answer that," she muttered, swinging down from the tree. "It'll just confuse me even more."

Bella smiled, "Because you're not the one picking the fights. You stood back and just wanted to help your friend." she answered anyway.

Jenna's eyes grew into slits. "You think I'm the wallflower? Do you know how many of your kind I've killed, Bella? Don't make the mistake of being my friend." Pain flitted across her face and Edward caught the tenor of her thoughts; bitterness. Ariko was the only friend she'd had in a long, long time and his family had just pretty much destroyed the grounds of that friendship.

Bella smiled quietly at her. "I never said you were a wallflower and I've seen what you can do. But when you were fighting with Ariko, you just sounded like you didn't like going against her. Just hestiant, almost scared."

"I'm not scared of anything," Jenna said slowly, but she was inexplicably fighting back tears.

Edward looked at her oddly. "I'm not scared," she repeated. Bella watched her quietly. Jenna relented. "I'm not scared," she said. "I... we've never come across anyone like you. It's just confusing." She scuffed her feet against the ground, not meeting their eyes. Edward listened to her thoughts quietly.

Bella took a step forward, cautiously closing the gap between Jenna and herself. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely, and awkwardly hugged Jenna, ignoring the girl's unresponsiveness.

At that moment Ariko came around the clearing, beginning to say something in a soft tone. She stood speechless, and then her eyes widened before narrowing to thin, angry lines.

Ariko stared at her friend, her face twisting quietly, "Find comfort in the enemy's arms right Jenna?" she hissed. Her body shook violently and her face was turning bright red, all in anger.

Jenna wiggled out of Bella's embrace, eyes wide and vulnerable for once. "Ariko, please," she started worriedly. Ariko turned and started to storm off. Jenna took a deep breath, wiping away a traitorous tear, and raced after Jenna.

When Bella tried to follow her she yelled back, "Haven't you done enough?" Bella stopped and stared after her.

**AN: Thanks to those who read this, and thanks to NeeKa for continuing to be a faithful co-author.**


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